Construction Management

Owning a home or a business has been part of the American Dream since the country's
founding. But residences and office parks don't build themselves. At MTSU, students
learn the wide range of skills it takes to help provide the homes, communities, office
buildings, and other construction projects that are the literal foundation of the
American Dream.

Competing to learn

The phrase “Residential Construction Management Competition” may be mouthful, but
for students seeking a degree in Construction Management, the annual national contest
presents an unequalled opportunity. Members of the competition team learn firsthand
what it takes to put together a winning development proposal. During the last decade,
MTSU's team has been dominant, placing at least in the top nine and winning the competition
outright in 2007 and 2012.

Calling all women

In many science and engineering fields, female students too often overlook the opportunities
and pay potential. That is true of the jobs available to graduates with a degree in
Construction Management. “As a woman home builder and land developer, I have found
that home building is a truly rewarding career in so many ways, not the least of which
is earning potential,” says Peggy Krebs, president of Elite Homes and one of the industry's
many supporters of the program. The path to that earning potential and career satisfaction
starts right here.

A degree in Construction Management prepares students for entry-level careers in land
development and residential home building construction industry. Examples include

The sample schedule below is based on the current undergraduate catalog. It is not
a substitute for academic advisement. Contact your advisor if you have any questions
about scheduling or about your degree requirements or consult the undergraduate catalog
(catalog.mtsu.edu) for a complete list of requirements and electives.

You may choose to attend a summer term to reduce your load during fall or spring terms
but still stay on track to graduate in four years. (Refer to the scholarships website for information regarding use of the Lottery Scholarship for the summer term.)

NOTE: Learning Support courses will alter the sequences on this map. Missing milestones
could delay your program.

Degree Information
Ph.D., Temple University, PA (2003)M.P.H., University of South Florida (1987)B.S., East Tennessee State University (1980)B.S., East Tennessee State University (1980)

Biography
Dr. Carol Boraiko, CIH, CSP, Faculty Principle Investigator, is a public health professional of 30 plus years of experience with OSHA, Veterans Administration (hospital), chemical manufacturing industry, as well as MTSU. She is both a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and a Certified Safety professional (CSP) with a wide range of exposure assessment experience including toxic metal such as tin and lead in both occupational and environmental settings. Her doctoral degree is in Public Health, Industrial Hygiene from Temple University.

Degree Information
Ed.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1988)M.A.E., Tennessee State University (1975)B.S., Austin Peay State University (1969)

Biography
Dr. David Hatfield is the Director of the Land Development/Residential Building concentration. Hatfield, a career educator, has also been a residential home builder since 1973. Since 1982, Hatfield worked for many years to successfully develop and add the concentration in land development and residential building to the curriculum, making it the first program of its kind in the United States. He has an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the residential construction industry and is actively involved with residential builders and developers at the local and national levels. He is past president (2011-12) of the National Student Home Builder’s Advisory Board.

Degree Information
Ed.D., Tennessee State University (1993)E.D.S., Middle Tennessee State University (1988)M.A., Middle Tennessee State University (1982)B.S., Tennessee Tech University (1972)

Biography
Dr. Kathy Mathis is a civil engineer with experience in solar design and energy conservation who lives in a passive solar, energy-conserving home. She has been certified as an energy manager and is codirector of the Center for Energy Efficiency at MTSU. She is also on the advisory board for the MTSU WiSTEM Center (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Degree Information
M.Ed., Middle Tennessee State University (2001)B.S., Middle Tennessee State University (1995)B.S., Middle Tennessee State University (1993)

Biography
Mr. Duane Vanhook, assistant professor, brings to the Construction Management Program, teaching experience as well as over 20 years of construction experience. Vanhook, a general contractor, has also served as a construction superintendent and subcontractor in the field of residential construction and light commercial. His extensive knowledge of the home building and residential development industry allows him to teach from a real-world point of view. He will be president of the National Student Home Builder’s Advisory Board in 2013-2014.

Introduces the residential construction industry. Includes basic fundamentals, terminology, materials, current methods, techniques, and associated problems. Recommended for those desiring general knowledge of residential construction or who plan to work in the construction industry. Two hours lecture and three hours laboratory.

CMT 3155 - Land Development and Residential Building
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Junior status or permission of department. Online course for land development and infrastructure layout. House plans, methods, and techniques used in building conventional structure. Recommended for those desiring general knowledge as a consumer of residential construction. (Required for Electrical Construction Management concentration. Land Development/Residential Building Construction Management major or minor students cannot use this course to replace CMT 3150.)

CMT 3160 - Cost Estimating I
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: CMT 1000 or CMT 3150. Principles and practices involved in the preparation of a cost estimate for a residential home. Topics include introduction to cost estimating, materials, and labor costs for residential building.

CMT 3180 - Construction and Materials II
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: CMT 3150. A continuation of CMT 3150 with emphasis on new building materials and various types of construction. Light commercial construction included.

CMT 3190 - Construction Land Development Operations
3 credit hours

Topics include contractor procedures in land development, land development infrastructure, and management methods.

CMT 3195 - Sustainable Construction
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: CMT 3190 or permission of department. Introduces current green building technologies and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Green Building Guidelines and other green build programs. Also covers the impact of the building industry on the environment and how that impact can be minimized by the use of green technology.

The residential and subdivision infrastructure construction language for plan reading, codes, regulations, and specifications. Lectures and hands-on activities. Industry will provide guest lecturers and show examples of some of their work in the field. Students will be required to visit architects, city and county codes department representatives, and contractors during the semester.

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, ET 2310, or permission of department. Using computers to draw and design residential architectural plans. Specifically geared toward the construction area of concentration. Two hours lecture and three hours laboratory.

CMT 3500 - Land Surveying
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: MATH 1720 or MATH 1730 or MATH 1910. Basic surveying operations such as chaining, differential leveling, transverse methods and calculations, structural layout, topographic mapping, and slope staking for road and utilities in subdivisions. Basic surveying instruments used include the chain, automatic level, transit, and theodolite. Environmental issues relating to land and land development covered. Two hours lecture and three hours laboratory.

Properties and testing of soils on a job site, different kinds of foundations used, and an overview of the different kinds and costs of earth moving equipment used in the commercial construction industry.

Prerequisite: CMT 3320. Fundamentals and computer design of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems used in the residential and light commercial building construction industry. Two hours lecture and three hours laboratory.

CMT 4110 - Cost Estimating II
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: CMT 4100, CMT 4120, and CMT 4130. Use of computer to estimate total cost of land development and housing costs for capstone project.

Prerequisites: Senior standing, CMT 3160, CMT 3190, and CMT 3320. Management and administration of construction to include contracts, office, and field work.

CMT 4140 - Construction Management Principles
3 credit hours

Detailed look at how the construction industry works. Includes review of model building codes, building officials and their functions, construction industry codes and standards, quality assurance systems, contract documents, and principles of managing construction contracts.

CMT 4170 - Capstone-LDRB Construction Management
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: CMT 4100, CMT 4120, and CMT 4130. Final preparation of development plans, etc., for subdivision. Basic principles of presentations. Presentation of capstone project to Building Construction Technical Committee.

Prerequisite: Senior status; permission of department. Taken during the last semester of coursework at MTSU. Student will develop a project(s) that relates to the material covered in concentration courses. Proposed outline(s) required and must be approved by the Electrical Construction Management advisor before starting.

CMT 4200 - Commercial Cost Estimating and Bidding
3 credit hours

Commercial estimating including take-offs from blueprints, using preferred computer estimating programs, educational trips to Dodge Room in Nashville, actually seeing a job being estimated and bid.

CMT 4280 - Commercial Construction Capstone
3 credit hours

Construction portfolio presented to subcommittee of advisory committee. Pictures and/or projects developed in junior- and senior-level commercial construction classes included; all facets of a commercial construction project from inception to completion. Pass/Fail.